Why matching fish farming with crop irrigation is a win for parched Southwest

Farmers in the Southwest are turning a harsh, dry climate to their advantage by raising fish

East of Lake Tahoe, an organic farmer and his son are putting the finishing touches on what is perhaps a counterintuitive approach to water conservation in a dry climate: a 32,000-sq ft greenhouse that will grow tomatoes, peppers and fish in the heart of the Nevada desert.

Mark O'Farrell, the owner of Hungry Mother Organics in Minden, Nevada, plans to have his desert fish farm operational by August, when he'll begin to produce an estimated 36,000 to 50,000 tilapia per year.